Canada won’t follow U.S. on industrial emissions

The Harper government has no plans to follow a U.S. initiative to slash the greenhouse gas emissions of big polluters — even though Ottawa has pledged to harmonize its climate policies with the Americans.

The White House, stung by its failure to legislate a cap-and-trade bill before the recent congressional elections, has a Plan B set to be implemented within weeks.

The new U.S. rules — passed by executive order — are aimed at curbing emissions from large industrial facilities like refineries and cement factories. They go into effect Jan. 2.

Canadian climate experts say this country could contain the pollution growth from its own industries, notably the oilsands, by introducing similar standards north of the border.

But newly minted Environment Minister John Baird downplayed the plans from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as “patchwork.”

“It’s very, very preliminary stuff on energy efficiency,” said Baird, who said he hadn’t heard about the new U.S. rules before being contacted by The Canadian Press.

“Any national standards in the United States on energy efficiency in GHG (greenhouse gas) reduction, obviously, we would very seriously look at adopting — unless we’re doing something that’s better or higher in Canada.”

The EPA rules will require tougher emissions standards when air quality regulators issue permits to industry.

The first step tightens rules for existing facilities planning any expansion that would increase emissions. Then, starting in July, the rules will be extended to include newly constructed facilities.

The EPA says its regulations target operations that produce nearly 70 per cent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources.

The agency estimates the more stringent rules will require first-time permits for about 550 sources between 2011 and 2013. It also expects an additional 900 permits for new and modified projects each year.

An associate director at the Pembina Institute said while the U.S. rules are weaker than a cap and trade system, they could be used to curtail emissions from Canada’s rapidly expanding oilsands.

“That’s the source of the vast majority of the growth in our industrial greenhouse gas emissions in Canada,” Clare Demerse said of the oilpatch.

“Certainly in Canada, we would like to see something that is across the entire economy, but absolutely we have an urgent need to start controlling the greenhouse gas pollution from the oilsands sector.”

Ottawa has repeated its mantra that Canada must remain in lockstep with the U.S. when it comes to climate policies, legislation and regulation.

It has argued that moving forward without the U.S. would damage the Canadian economy, creating roadblocks for Canadian companies that American competition would not have to face.

The White House’s senior envoy to Canada also recently expressed a preference for regulatory harmony.